All the devils are here, by Louise Penny

The first of this excellent series to be set wholly outside of the quaint, almost mythical town of Three Pines. In fact, the book leaves Québec entirely for Paris, where both of the Gamache’s children have gone to live and work. Armand Gamache is back at work as Montreal’s chief of homicide, but his former second-in-command and more recently head of Sûreté du Québec, Jean-Guy Beauvior, has left police work for a corporate job in Paris. He and his wife, Annie, the Gamache’s daughter, are expecting their second child momentarily, so the fond grandparents have travelled abroad to be there for the birth. Their son, Daniel, who has had a troubled relationship with his father since he was a child, also lives nearby with his wife and two young daughters, so the entire extended family is present as the book opens. As is Armand’s 92-year-old godfather, billionaire activist Stephen Horowitz, who is still sharp as a tack. When Horowitz is struck by a hit-and-run driver as the families are strolling home from a restaurant dinner that first evening together, it quickly becomes apparent that “all the devils are here,” as Horowitz cryptically said to Armand just hours earlier. The book is fast-paced and exciting, as well as a thoughtful exploration of family ties. It also gives Reine-Marie, Armand’s wife, a chance to shine as her skills as a researcher and archivist are central to the plot. We librarians appreciate that! The final chapters will bring surprises and revelations one after another.  One of Penny’s very best despite the lack of the Three Pines ambiance and the descriptions of the wonderful food at the bistro there. 443 pp.